Hypocrite
by Migalouch
Summary: Epilogue to 3x04 Punked.  Lanie and the boys are pissed at Beckett when they realize something after meeting her boyfriend.  Can Castle clue her in on how to fix it? Spoilers inside M for adult language.


Dsiclaimer: I do not own Castle ABC does.

A/N: HUGE SPOILERS FOR 3x04 PUNKED! Ok saying that you can kind of read this if you want without watching the episode since it doesn't deal with the plot of that one, just the last like 3 minutes. I know that I should update "A Black Past" and I will very soon, but after I watched it I got so ticked off at Josh I had to get it out or kill someone and never finish my other story, so I put this together very quickly. The premise is what if people didn't see her actions as ok and Beckett made a mistake, something that she really doesn't do on the show. This was written in an effor to take her off the high horse she can seem to be on and make her fit in with the rest of the crowd. Now I will say I am using the assumption that Josh is her boyfriend and has been since the summer. That information has neither been confirmed or denied so this could all be completely wrong. Still I think all of you will really enjoy it and it is a fun read, but at the same time a good one because of the growth it shows for Beckett. Feel free to drop me a line with any comments. I don't care if you agree, disagree, love it, hate it, or whatever. This is a one-shot and I do not believe I will be continuing it so no likely chance for a sequel. Enjoy!

* * *

**Hypocrite**

The four men stood there, speechless at Beckett's departure and her introduction of her new, or maybe old, boyfriend.

Esposito was the one to break the silence. "This is fucking bullshit!" he vehemently exclaimed.

"Detective," Montgomery chastised, never appreciating his cops stooping to foul language.

"No sir, don't pull that. You just saw what happened and how much shit that is!" Javier shot right back not backing down an inch.

"All the licks we take, all the shit we do, all the times we have her back and she goes and pulls this shit on us!" Javier yelled, holding his neck that had to be paining him, especially with his physical anger.

"We stonewalled Castle for her! Sure he didn't call us and that hurt, and it did bro, but we all know the main reason was for her because of what he did when he left. He showed up with his ex-wife on his arm and she got burned and you know what, we had her back! Now she does the exact same fucking thing, but instead she does it to us all! We are supposed to be like family, the people she trusts! I can understand if she did it to Castle but to us? That's fucked up!" With that Esposito unleashed a kick at the wheelchair sending it spinning across the floor. Holding his neck and taking a few deep breathes he slowly straightened, grabbed his coat, and stormed out of the precinct.

Montgomery watched him depart, torn between following him and wholeheartedly agreeing with him. Ryan made the decision for him.

"He's right Captain. We stuck up for her at every step, and then for her to hide someone like this for God knows how long just isn't right. Through thick and thin we put up with her all summer and we were even willing to kick Castle to the curb when he came back. For her to hide this from us for so long isn't right, it isn't right at all," and with that Ryan swept by his desk, grabbed his own coat, and hurried to catch up to his partner.

Castle meanwhile was speechless during this entire matter. What the hell had just gone on and what did the boys mean that she had gotten burned? Looking at Roy for an explanation he simply saw father of the homicide division simply shaking his head.

"As much as I hate to say it I agree with those two," he admitted, almost sounding like a father admitting their own child had messed up.

"What is going on? What did Esposito mean?" Castle asked still clearly confused by the entire situation.

Drawing himself up, almost as if he had forgotten Castle was still there, the Captain addressed him. "It's not my place to say Castle, but suffice to say that what Beckett did pissed those two off just as much as you leaving for the summer and not calling did," and with that Roy turned back into his office slamming the door after himself.

"What the hell just happened?" Castle asked to a now empty bullpen.

**(BREAK)**

The next morning Castle was up and at the precinct before any of the team, still confused and hoping to find out what exactly happened last night and what he was missing. It didn't take long for the team to start filing in one by one.

Esposito was the first one in sans neck brace. Based on the look on his face he was still in pain, but he obviously either didn't care or even welcomed it. Castle had to guess that the pain was probably welcomed since an even more apparent expression on his face was one of hard anger. Esposito was pissed and it didn't look like that had even abated an ounce. Instead of stopping in the break room to get his usual cup of coffee he simply sat in his chair, booted up his computer, and started on some of the reports he had left over from last night. Esposito _never_ skipped his morning cup of coffee _ever. _It took a special kind of anger to wake someone up that completely in the morning.

Ryan was next, and while his anger wasn't as visible as Javier's, it was still apparent in the fact that his jovial demeanor was absent. It was almost as if the partners were of the same mind being so instep with one another's attitudes. Coming to sit at his own desk he too dove into his work forgoing his normal morning routine. Man something fishy was up all right and Castle was still completely in the dark about the matter.

The ding of the elevator caught his attention, and instead of Beckett who he expected it was Lanie that stepped out and headed towards the two partners. If Esposito's anger was a wildfire than Lanie was a volcano seconds from eruption. Seeing the two boys looking at her she simply jerked her head towards a conference room and changed course to head directly for it. Ryan and Esposito both rigidly stood and followed her.

Castle almost got up to join them, but something was telling him that this was something he wasn't a part of, nor should try and become a part of. Instead he stayed in his seat and watched them the entire way. Coming to the door they stepped inside and Esposito, as he was closing the door, locked eyes with Castle and nodded as if telling him thanks for not trying to interfere. As soon as the trio was locked in the room the fireworks began.

While Castle wasn't privy to what was being said, he still got a good look at what was going on and he was glad he was outside of that room. He could feel the anger rolling from that room, through the walls and door, across the bullpen, all the way to where he was sitting. What was even more astonishing was that none of the anger displayed by the people in that room seemed to be directed at each other. Something was up and Castle could only guess it involved Beckett and her boyfriend, but why they were so upset was something of a mystery to him. He knew it involved Beckett's new boyfriend, who he really didn't like by the way, because that was what had set Esposito and Ryan off. Lanie had apparently gotten word of it and her anger was just as fierce, if not more so.

Where they upset because she hadn't told them? That would make some sense, but that kind of upset would never be this intense. Castle had never seen this side from either the two detectives or the ME. Beckett had gotten a new boyfriend and yea it hit them all by surprise, but why was it such a horrible thing for her to do? Sure Castle definitely didn't like the guy, especially after his dismissal of them as "boys" and his arrogant attitude, and Castle really didn't appreciate the fact that Josh knew about him but Kate hadn't even hinted about a person she was seeing. Still that didn't explain why the three so upset?

Hearing another ding from the elevator Castle watched Beckett step out with a big smile on her face and knew that whatever was going to happen was about to reach a head.

As soon as she walked into the bullpen the animated anger from the conference room immediately came to a halt. Three sets of eyes bore into her form as Beckett walked obliviously, and from the looks of it quite happily, across the bullpen. Starting to get up in order to head to the break room to make her a coffee, Beckett instead did something she never did, she waved him down.

"Don't worry about it Castle I got them this morning," she said all smiles.

Slumping back into his seat Castle watched Beckett head to the break room completely stunned. She had _never_ gotten him coffee as long as they had worked together, not once. Sure she would make an extra cup if she was already making one for herself and he walked in, but never would she take the time to make him a cup of her own volition and then bring it to him. His thoughts on the matter where cut off as the conference room door opened and the three officers inside exited. Lanie bee lined right for the elevator doors, still obviously pissed, while Esposito and Ryan headed directly for him.

Coming up to sit next to him they quickly laid some things out before Beckett came back with their coffee.

"Look bro it's like this," Esposito started, "I'm not being trying to be mean but what Beckett did doesn't affect you so don't go getting mad at her because we are."

Ryan, always being the more level headed of the two softened the blow, "What she did ticked us off because of something that happened over the summer while you were gone. It's a long story but basically while we appreciate and know that you will have our backs if we need it, this time you don't have to it's a personal matter. We don't want what Beckett did to us hurting your partnership with her. So just try and stay clear when the shots start flying."

Opening his mouth Esposito ran right over him, correctly guessing what he was going to say, "Before you even offer Castle we wanna thank you for having our backs and wanting to help, but seriously bro you don't have to and shouldn't. Don't bother trying to cover for us and don't worry about telling her the truth about what is going on if she asks, we know you don't understand anything and that's fine. Also we wanna apologize for how we treated you when you came back. Recent happenings made us see what we did was not only wrong, but not justified so were sorry bro." Ryan quickly nodded his head in agreement to Esposito's statement.

Completely taken aback by the uncharacteristic apology from the detectives, and also surprised their obvious anger wasn't even drifting his way, Castle could only numbly nod his head and mumble an acceptance and a thank you. Seeing the two detectives look up over his shoulder, probably in the direction of the break room, the quickly got up and head back to their desks without a word. Beckett not even a second later plopped into her chair offering a greeting to them as she handed Castle a cup of coffee.

Castle, now even more confused than before, thanked her while accepting the cup. Ryan and Esposito simply grunted their acknowledgment of her without even sparing her a glance. Kate shot a confused glare in their direction before looking at Castle who could honestly only shrug in confusion. Sure he knew more than her, but that knowledge only extended to the fact they were mad at her, not the why. Shaking her head and still having a smirk of happiness she set about starting her paperwork. Sighing Castle knew that today was going to be one hell of a long day.

**(BREAK)**

Kate was feeling like the odd man out and that feeling was making her angry. All day from the moment she had come in Ryan and Esposito hadn't spoken a word to her other than when she directly asked them a question, and even then they only answered what she asked without going off on any side tangents like they normally did. Sure they still joked around with Castle when he talked to him, but the minute she tried to join the conversation or address them they went back to ice cold silence. What made the entire thing even odder was that when she said good morning to Captain Montgomery as she walked passed him he hadn't even so much as given her a glance. Never before had she been treated like this and something was seriously wrong. Knowing who would be the easiest to crack for information she turned towards him.

"Castle can I speak with you in the break room?" she asked using her no nonsense tone.

Getting up and moving in the direction she had mentioned she heard Castle sigh behind her. It wasn't one of annoyance, or nerves. Instead it sounded like he had been waiting for this moment all day and was finally glad it had come. As soon as she entered she crossed the room to close the door, before heading back and closing the other door behind him. Leaning against the counter that held the espresso machine that she had grown to love she took the blunt and straightforward approach.

"Castle what the hell is going on?"

Sighing again, which was starting to annoy Kate, Castle gave her a surprising, but not very uninformative, answer. "Honestly I don't even know. Last night we were all ok with them playing a practical joke and the next they were pissed at you. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what set them off but I have no clue and they refuse to tell me besides mentioning that it involved something from this past summer. Esposito was really pissed and I thought he was going to hurt himself even worse with his neck in such bad shape. When Ryan and the Captain agreed with him I was even more shocked. All I know for sure is that this morning they told me it had nothing to do with me and that it shouldn't come between the partnership we have. That is all I know I swear."

Studying his face to see if he was lying Kate couldn't even see a hint of deception; Castle really didn't know what was going on. Well if he didn't then she knew someone that most certainly did. Lanie seemed to have her finger on the pulse of the precinct and always knew what was going on no matter where in the building it was happening. Nodding her head she made up her mind and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Castle asked as she opened the door to walk out.

"To see Lanie," was her response as she closed the door behind her. If she hadn't closed the door, or even if she had looked back at Castle she would have noticed his face and been aware that what she was doing wasn't exactly the smartest choice. Since she was in such a hurry she was blissfully unaware that she was walking into a lioness' den.

**(BREAK)**

Getting off the elevator Kate headed towards the morgue to talk to Lanie, hoping to figure out what was going on with her team and why they weren't talking for her. Entering the morgue she was completely unprepared for what she was walking into. Normally the morgue was cold from all the freezers that occupied it, but today it was the Arctic and the spitfire of an ME was like a glowing hot ember shooting off sparks in the middle of the frozen tundra.

"Hey Lanie I'm having a rough day. The boys won't even talk to me and I could really use your help figuring out why," she said hoping that her best friend had some insight into the situation.

Instead of dropping what she was doing like she normally would, Lanie simply kept working as if she hadn't heard a word Kate had said. Doing a double take at Lanie's uncharacteristic behavior Kate was surprised. Was Lanie giving her the cold shoulder? That had never happened before in her life.

"Ugh Lanie did you happen to hear me?" she asked, not believing that her friend had just completely ignored her.

"I don't have a body assigned to a case you are working on detective," Lanie said with a voice that was simultaneously as hard as steel and as cold as ice.

Kate, a bit worried now, continued to press on hoping that whatever had happened to Esposito and Ryan hadn't spread to her friend. "I know that Lanie and I'm not here about a case, I'm trying to figure out why my team is giving me the cold shoulder."

For the first time since Kate had entered Lanie turned to look at her and what Kate saw took her aback. Instead of the warm eyes of her friend she instead saw the cold glare Lanie rarely ever used and only then to people that really pissed her off. "You ever think that maybe it wasn't just them or did you _forget_ about that to? Now if you will excuse me detective I have a lot of work to do and you are wasting my time," Lanie said clearly dismissing her from the morgue.

Shocked at what had just happened Kate didn't even realize she had moved until she was standing in front of the elevator to take her back to the squad room. What the hell was going on with everyone and why where they so upset at her? She hadn't done a thing to them and last she had seen them yesterday they were all happy and Esposito had even played a joke on them regarding his neck. From there Josh had come to get her even though she was supposed to meet him later and she had gone home. Next thing she knew she had come in and everyone was giving her the cold shoulder.

Oh god how could she be so completely stupid! This was all about Josh. Turning on her heel she headed right back to the morgue, only now realizing that she had never told her best friend about the new guy in her life.

"Lanie I can explain," she started to say, hoping that she could fix some of the damage she had done with her thoughtlessness.

The ME wasn't having any of it though as she quickly rounded on Kate. "Exactly what can you explain detective, because I would really like to hear it," she practically spat, venom dripping off of every single word.

"I know I didn't tell you about Josh and I am sorry about that, but I didn't really think it was a big deal. I mean we started talking over the summer and we went out a couple times. When Castle came back I kind of put off mentioning it as he tried to get in our good graces and before I knew it I completely forgot everyone didn't know," Kate practically pleaded, trying to get her friend to understand.

Apparently her words had the opposite affect and Lanie's anger just seemed to get even more intense. The calm cold voice was quickly replaced with loud irate yelling. "The summer! You have been going out with him since the summer and now only that you were caught red handed do you mention it! Get the hell out of my morgue and stay the hell out until you figure out just exactly how stupid you are and how stupid you made us all look!" She yelled pointing towards the doors. Lanie's chest was heaving with deep breathes and she tried and keep her anger from actually turning into physical assault.

Needless to say Kate shot out of the room as fast as she could, not having any desire to piss Lanie off even more. What the hell was happening and what the hell had she done? Never had her best friend been this pissed at her before, and even worse the boys were just as mad. She had to figure out what the hell was going on and exactly how she could fix it, and she had to figure it out fast.

**(BREAK)**

Apparently fast had left town and left her at the bus stop with slow and plodding. It was two days later and the ice and tension hadn't abated one bit. The boys were not talking to her, but were skirting the line of being insubordinate so she couldn't even get on their case about that. Lanie hadn't even spoken to her since the incident and since she was unofficially banned from the morgue Kate was forced to get all autopsy results through Castle since. This week was becoming a living nightmare and what was worse is that she still didn't know what the hell was going on.

Standing in the break room with Castle she eventually did something that she almost never did, she asked for help.

"I just don't know what is going on," she quietly whispered out, a tone of defeat in her voice.

"I wish I knew myself, but I'm only stuck with guesses since the boys won't say anything to me either," Castle said, not even needing her to clarify what she was talking about.

Looking at him she felt a chuckle of disgust and hurt come from her chest. "Even your guesses are better than what I got Castle," she said in her own way of asking him to fill her in.

Sighing, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, Castle started to lay out his theories. "Well whatever it is I am pretty sure involves Josh. I think a part of it involves you not telling them about him, but I don't think that is the main thing. They feel like you screwed them over somehow I think, and for the life of me I don't know why."

"But I didn't, that's the thing Castle. I didn't screw them over intentionally and it was just an honest mistake, they don't seem to understand that. What is even worse is that when I try and explain that they shut down even more," she exclaimed, exasperated over the entire situation.

"Well did you try and apologize?" Castle asked causing Kate to freeze in her motions.

Chuckling at her dumbfounded expression Castle continued, "You know the two of us can be the most brilliant dumb people ever." This statement caused Kate to give him a nasty look, but before she could refute his statement he kept going. "We can have so much insight into so many different situations and can even pick out the smallest clues, but when it comes to some of the most basic things we completely overlook them."

Setting down his coffee he turned towards her addressing her head on. "Kate there are so many things I admire about you, but one thing we both have in common is neither of us know when to apologize. You hurt your friends and while neither of us really knows why it still doesn't mean you shouldn't apologize for what you did. You are very rarely wrong Kate, and because of that I'm sure you rarely have to say your sorry, but this I think is one of those times."

"But I have nothing to apologize for," she tried to defend which only caused Castle to look more amused.

"Remember how I looked into your mother's case? Well I didn't think I should really apologize for that either since I thought I was helping through my actions. It took a very special lady to clue me in on the fact that sometimes even though we believe we are right we need to apologize anyway. It wasn't until after I apologized that I truly understood what I had done from your perspective and how wrong it was. Face it Kate sometimes you have to swallow your pride and do the right thing, no matter how contrary to your behavior it may be."

Nodding her head Kate realized that Castle was right. He had her pegged dead on about apologizing, and even worse what he said was the first thing this week that made complete sense. She didn't know why Lanie and the boys were mad, but maybe it had gotten worse because she hadn't even tried to work it out with them. Instead she had figured that they would get over it, that she could convince them they made a mistake and she was right, or that they would eventually clue her in. They were her friends and if she hurt them she had to apologize no matter how hard it was because that's what friends were supposed to do.

"When did you get so wise Castle," she asked, letting him know she appreciated his help but not wanting to say it outright.

"I know that was so Zen Master wasn't it?" he said, a jovial tone coming back to his tone that made Kate laugh for the first time since this all started.

Smiling even brighter at her reaction to his antics, Castle simply looked at her and nodded encouragingly towards the bullpen where Lanie and the boys where talking. "You know what to do Kate, now just go do."

Nodding her head she flashed him a smile before heading out of the break room and towards her friends. As soon as they saw her coming towards them she saw each of them visibly stiffen, but thankfully none of them retreated from her approach. Coming stand before them she felt like a small child who had been chastised by their parents. This was definitely not a feeling she was used to when it concerned these three.

"Can we talk… please?" she pleaded, hoping that they wouldn't just ignore her again.

Looking between one another they eventually nodded there heads and started towards an unused conference room. Breathing a sigh of relief Kate followed them, grateful that they were going to give her a chance. Coming into the room she closed the door behind her and turned to find her three friends staring at her expectantly. Apparently while they were willing to listen, they most assuredly were not going to make this easy.

Deciding to treat it like removing a band aid Kate just launched right into it, "Look guys I know that I did really messed up and while I'm not sure what I did…. I still want to apologize. Whatever I did I just want to let you know that I am sorry that I hurt you all and if I could I would take it back."

Seeing hints of surprise on their faces, probably from her completely uncharacteristic apology, whatever she said apparently was enough for them to throw her a bone.

"Kate Beckett you are a complete hypocrite," Lanie stated not even sugar coating it.

"We had your back all throughout the entire ordeal with Castle because he hurt you by walking away with his ex. That took us all by surprise, but most of all that hurt you, and because of that we gave him the cold shoulder when he came back, assuming that it hurt you to see him again. Hell girl each of us were willing to never talk to his ass again, and not because he didn't call, but because of what he did when he left you high and dry for the summer," Lanie said starting in on the explanation of exactly why they were pissed.

Esposito picked right up from there, "After watching you condemn what he did and get so upset with him, and after backing you every step of the way, you basically did the exact same thing. Too make it worse you not only did it to him, but you did it to all of us and that just isn't cool."

"You lied to us Beckett, not flat out but just short of it. We thought that after what happened with Castle seeing him again wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience for you, especially because he left with his ex and was still with her when he came back. How stupid do you think we all feel now that we just find out you had a boyfriend this entire time that you weren't telling us about? We let him suffer without knowing why, and in the meantime you were hiding some guy from us while acting all hurt," Kevin said letting her know he was on the same page as the other to.

"Honey Castle came in and has this relationship that he is in and we felt like that hurt you because you were looking at what you could have had. In the meantime you are dating some guy that you kept from even your _best friend_ and didn't even want to be with Castle. Then you just spring him on the boys and Esposito is the one who ends up telling me about it for the first time. Castle swooped in with his ex and it hurt and while you claim to take the high road you go actin like a hypocrite and do the exact same thing. Sure it may not have been planned but that doesn't make it any better," Lanie exclaimed.

Stepping back Kate was flabbergasted. They were right, they were all right and she had been completely blind to not see it until now. She had acted like a complete heartless bitch, and while it was satisfying to see the look on Castle's face when he first saw Josh, she didn't even think to consider how her friends who she treated like family would react to a boyfriend she had never told them about. They were right she had acted like a complete hypocrite getting upset with Castle for leaving her to go off with his ex and then she just walks off with her boyfriend who she never even hinted at.

There was only one way to try and make this right. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you guys and that I did that to you. I got so caught up I never even thought of how you would all feel about it," she said in a somewhat defeated voice, now truly understanding the impact of her actions.

Instead of being further shunned, like she thought she deserved, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. "Honey it hurt ya, but what good are we as friends if we don't forgive you when you say you're sorry," Lanie said pulling her into a tight hug.

"A taste of your own medicine is kind of humbling huh boss," Esposito asked, swallowing at the death glare Kate threw him over Lanie's shoulder.

Eventually she broke down and let out a genuine laugh of relief. Her friends did the best thing they ever could for her, they let her know when she was wrong and as soon as she apologized they accepted it and moved on. Kate had no clue what she had done to deserve such great friends, but she was so glad to have them in her life.

While hugging Ryan she looked over his shoulder to see Castle leaning in the door of the break room watching with a smirk on his face. Looking at him she couldn't be happier that while her friends had called her out on her mistake, she had one that had taught her one of the greatest lessons of all. That it was ok to apologize, and sometimes you had to do it even if you didn't think so. Smiling she mouthed the words "thank you" to him and was rewarded with a full blown smile and a wink in return. Laughing out loud she felt herself pulled into a hug by Esposito, immensely glad that all was right again with her small family. One thing she did know for certain though was that Lanie better watch out, because with the way Castle was giving her advice she just may have competition for the title of best friend.

**Like it? Review it!**


End file.
